Bacteria Bloom…is it always followed by an Ammonia spike?

[Flame2hawk]

I have a cycling 240g. Does have a few fish and early beginner softie corals. Noticed a bacterial bloom 3 days ago. Has stayed relatively stable although it looks a little more cloudy today. I’ve been waiting for the ammonia spike that I thought always followed bacteria blooms of newly cycled tanks. I got a slight spike on first day I noticed the spike but has measure zero ammonia and nitrites since. Am I just lucky or should i still expect a spike?

 

[Spare time]

Not always. I think it just depends on how much decayed at once and how robust the tank's biofilter is

 

[vetteguy53081]

Also known as bacterial blossom, bacterial bloom is a condition in which a sudden increase in the number of bacterial colonies occurs, specifically bacteria that are suspended in the water column. The bacteria grows so rapidly that collectively they become visible to the naked eye, causing the water to become milky/cloudy/hazy in appearance. This condition most often is seen in a newly started aquarium, but can also occur in a tank in which there is has been an increase in the nutrients in the water, particularly nitrates and phosphates. Excessive feeding of fish without cleaning the debris can also cause a sharp increase in nutrients that results in these blooms .
There are two types of bacteria at work in aquariums:

• Autotrophic Bacteria: Bacteria capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy. The beneficial bacterias are autotrophs.
• Heterotrophic Bacteria: Bacteria that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition. The heterotrophs in the aquariums mineralize the organic waste (break down the uneaten food, fish waste, dead plant matter, etc. into ammonia).

It is more common that the heterotrophs are seen in bacterial blooms, not the trusted autotroph nitrifiers. It is the heterotrophs which are primarily responsible for creating the "bio-film" (slimy residue found on the tank walls and rocks. Regarding your question , , , , , As the ammonia production increases due to the increased mineralization, the nitrifiers are slow to catch up and an ammonia spike occurs until the autotrophs reproduce enough to take care of it. Contrary to popular belief, bacterial blooms cause an ammonia spike, not the other way around.
It is unclear whether the autotrophic nitrifiers ever bloom into the water column or if they simply multiply too slowly to cause this effect.
Water changes will play a role as well as filter maintenance.

WHAT FILTER(S) ARE YOU USING ?

 

[Flame2hawk]

Also known as bacterial blossom, bacterial bloom is a condition in which a sudden increase in the number of bacterial colonies occurs, specifically bacteria that are suspended in the water column. The bacteria grows so rapidly that collectively they become visible to the naked eye, causing the water to become milky/cloudy/hazy in appearance. This condition most often is seen in a newly started aquarium, but can also occur in a tank in which there is has been an increase in the nutrients in the water, particularly nitrates and phosphates. Excessive feeding of fish without cleaning the debris can also cause a sharp increase in nutrients that results in these blooms .
There are two types of bacteria at work in aquariums:

• Autotrophic Bacteria: Bacteria capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light or chemical energy. The beneficial bacterias are autotrophs.
• Heterotrophic Bacteria: Bacteria that cannot synthesize its own food and is dependent on complex organic substances for nutrition. The heterotrophs in the aquariums mineralize the organic waste (break down the uneaten food, fish waste, dead plant matter, etc. into ammonia).

It is more common that the heterotrophs are seen in bacterial blooms, not the trusted autotroph nitrifiers. It is the heterotrophs which are primarily responsible for creating the "bio-film" (slimy residue found on the tank walls and rocks. Regarding your question , , , , , As the ammonia production increases due to the increased mineralization, the nitrifiers are slow to catch up and an ammonia spike occurs until the autotrophs reproduce enough to take care of it. Contrary to popular belief, bacterial blooms cause an ammonia spike, not the other way around.
It is unclear whether the autotrophic nitrifiers ever bloom into the water column or if they simply multiply too slowly to cause this effect.
Water changes will play a role as well as filter maintenance.

WHAT FILTER(S) ARE YOU Using

This write up seems to be suggesting that an ammonia spike is inevitable, correct?I iHave a sump pump, but no skimmer or Uv hooked up yet. Also have 2 seeded bio bricks in sump and running floss with zeolite in socks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This write up seems to be suggesting that an ammonia spike is inevitable, correct?I iHave a sump pump, but no skimmer or Uv hooked up yet. Also have 2 seeded bio bricks in sump and running floss with zeolite in socks.

Yes, highly likely to get ammonia

 

[Flame2hawk]

Yes, highly likely to get ammonia

It’s been 5 days and the bloom has virtually ceared up and no trace of ammonia. I know not everything is absolute in this hobby! Fish doing well and eating. Perhaps the Zeolite is doing its job and preventing an ammonia spike. I have some fellow hobbyist friends who swear by the stuff and especially during cycling periods up to 6months or so…

 

[vetteguy53081]

It’s been 5 days and the bloom has virtually ceared up and no trace of ammonia. I know not everything is absolute in this hobby! Fish doing well and eating. Perhaps the Zeolite is doing its job and preventing an ammonia spike. I have some fellow hobbyist friends who swear by the stuff and especially during cycling periods up to 6months or so…

Very good- Keep it going

 

[Flame2hawk]

Well Thank Goodness after 8 days, no ammonia spike. Today’s reading 0. The highest it got was .15ppm the day of the bloom. I’ll thank seachem zeolite. I wonder if anyone else has had a good experience with this product?

 

[Flame2hawk]

So the bacteria bloom has never gone away. I assume that’s what it is as it’s an obvious haze looking cloudiness. Never have registered any ammonia. Any suggestions?

@vetteguy53081

 

[vetteguy53081]

Add a cheap Walmart hang on power filter on tank and will quickly clear up. Also add 1.5ml of liquid bacteria such as bacteria XLM per 10 gallons for 10 day’s

 

[Flame2hawk]

How bout calcium carbonate?

isn’t the underlying issue that there is too much bio load for the good bacteria to support? If so, is the filter idea just to clear the water but not to deal with underlying issue of to little good bacteria?

I do have a canister filter laying around although I do have carbon running in a plastic filter sock in sump.

Ialso have Dr Tim’s eco balance multi strained probiotic bacteria as well as microbacter7. And calcium carbonate. I haven’t used any of it because I was hoping the tank would adjust on its own. Needless to say I shouldn’t add any more fish I suppose.

anyway perhaps since now you know what I have in hand you could be kind to suggest a plan of action.

keep in mind that I started running 5 poly filters 48 hours ago and amazingly, at least to me it did nothing…..skimmer is on. No uv although I ordered one to be installed Monday/Tuesday upon arrival.

thx so much!

 

[Flame2hawk]

Surprised didn’t here any feedback after above post.

So no hang on or even a powerful canister filter worked so I bought a 40W aqua UV and it cleared it up in 24 hours. However the underlying issue is that there is not enough good bacteria to fight the ammonia build up and thus the bloom. After just about a month with bacteria bloom cloudy water and no measurable ammonia from daily monitoring, today, 12/10/21 (yes day after UV installation) testing revealed a small trace of ammonia. Between 0 and .025ppm. So will continue to add Bacter7 and when doing so turn off UV for at least 4 hours.